Champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock has enjoyed global success this year and featured in the US at the weekend where superbly bred Cover Song (3f Fastnet Rock x Misty for Me, by Galileo) captured the Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.

A $450,000 Keeneland September purchase for Spendthrift Farm, the Carla Gaines trained Cover Song had a win and three placings from seven previous runs, but rose to a new level with this win.

She overcame trouble in the run to score a nose win in in the one mile turf feature.

“She broke like a Quarter Horse,” said winning rider Kent Desormeaux.

“I was fearful that I was going be 20 in front, but she made the lead and then checked herself and got into a nice rhythm. She carried me around the track very, very well and even had a horse stop right in her face and I thought, ‘no, no she doesn’t need this’.

“I re-directed and turning for home I was trying to pick a spot. I thought I had a line chosen and the horse on the outside [Danilovna] started pushing on us so I thought, ‘Ok. If you’re going to initiate contact, I’m gonna hold my ground.’ I could feel her turning it on. She would not lose.”

Cover Song comes with a big pedigree as she is a half-sister to this season’s Group II winning juvenile Roly Poly and is from Galileo’s four-time Group I winning daughter Misty for Me.

She is the 103rd stakes-winner for Fastnet Rock, who gave Spendthrift Farm an international winning double as they also tasted victory with Australian bred Cana (4m Fastnet Rock x Scattered, by Tale of the Cat) at Rosehill in Sydney.

Group III placed last preparation and a winner of over $180,000 in prizemoney, Cana was a $650,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Highgrove Stud draft.

She is a half-sister to stakes-winner Interspersed and will no doubt seek further Black Type in coming months.